Improvement in map drawers and exhibitors



YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. KNIGHT, OF AUBURN, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAP DRAWERS AND EXHIBITORS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,996, dated December 22, 1874; application filed March 23, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ADAMS KNIGHT, of Auburn, in the county of Androscoggin and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Map Drawer and Exhibitor, of which the following is a speciiioation:

The object of the said invention is to construct a'rnap drawer and exhibitor in such a manner that maps can be closely packed and kept entirely free fromv dust or dirt, and at the same time always ready for use.

A drawer having an open bottom, and work ing on supplemental slides, so that it can be drawn out its entire width and still be supported by the slides, is tted with spring maprollers, and so arranged that when the drawer is extended any one of the maps can be drawn down for examination and then returned to its place without interfering with the other maps in the drawer.

This drawer and exhibitor may be fitted into the top of a desk or book-case, or placed above The shelves of a library, or held up in any convenient place by means of brackets.

Figure l is a view of a book-case with my invention fitted into the same, showing the map-drawer partly extended and one of the maps drawn down and held in position for use. Fig. 2 is a top view of the drawer, showing two sets of map-rollers and the method of attaching the elastic spring or cord to the same. Fig. 3 is an end sectional view of the map-drawer with the usual number of maps contained in one of ordinary size, showing the position of the maps when rolled up and the drawer shoved back into place.

The drawer A, having supplemental slides B B, can be drawn out its entire width, so that any one of the maps can be drawn down for use without interfering with the front of the book-case. The maprollers D D are held in place by pivots passing into the sides of the drawer. The elastic cord E, passing through the rings, as at F, and having its ends fastened to separate map-rollers, as at G, serves as springs for one pair of rollers, holding one of the maps rmly in place while the other one is being drawn down, and vice versa, the elasticity of the cord allowing it to wind around the roller as the map is being drawn down, and then drawing the map into place again by simply assuming its normal position.

It is obvious that for heavy maps pulleys may be substituted for the rings F with advantage.

For rollers placed in the center of the drawer, the rings for the cord to pass through are afxed to the ends of the drawer, between the ends of the rollers, instead of at the sides, as shown at F.

Metallic springs may be used instead of elastic, if desired.

The maps are so arranged in the drawer that the top row will not rub against those in the lower row when being drawn down, as shown in Fig. 3.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The drawer A, open at the bottom, in combination with supplemental slides B B and spring-rollers D, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The rollers D, elastic cord E, and rings F, when combined and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

JOHN ADAMS KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

LEWIS W. HAsKELL, NAHUM MORRILL. 

